The Storyteller

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIII, Issue 18, 4 May 1916, Page 3

The Storyteller

MISTRESS DOROTHY'S WAGER

: -..-.- - O Cousin Dorothy, surely you /will never undertake such an enterprise! tt were worse than folly to think ' v of itl' -"'./'■/// v^" : •^>:.'"'"/HV , t;^'fv^^^\ v ' r ''■"-':" ■':.' />;•/ .",■'■ • "•-'' Dorothy /dear/ you little know to \ what you V are pledging yourself. v <-ThV^fie.ath is /simply swarming with highwaymen.' '-.,• //- " ! /•* - /■ . ' - &,-;...:..'.".'. And , the renowned • l ßlack . Dick " ' would think "very; little, of risking his heck to possess himself 'of those -gems : that do /not, in truth; outshine the brilliancy of r Mistress: Dorothy's eyesl' T x . - -Mistress Dorothy -Pennington executed v a'" sweeping' courtesy, in acknowledgment of -this "< last speech, "uttered by an exquisite, attired in all the bravery \of flowered vest, plum-colored costume, and elaborate lace ruffles. -? -.; 'I am overwhelmed, sir. Nevertheless ? : (she 3 glanced . round at the little circle that had gathered about her), 'I hold to my j resolve.' : - -.//■ '■"' --■:. ".. '-■';/ Av/- ;?■/-;-✓,/"-.• ■?-/'/ This conversation was being held in the assembly room,at Tunbridge .Wells,- which at that time (it was toward/ the middle of J the third George's < reign) ; disputed with Bath the palm of fashion. The subject of: discussion was.' ■''"' a wager made by fair Dorothy Pennington that she would convey. herself -and, her, famous ; emeralds," and, - incidentally, her,'-great-uncle,:,-'old Judge Pennington, in. all safety to London, without the loss of as much as qrie s Mer^ : jewels, or injury;, to the"same. '■' Vain ' were all, remonstrances,-in-/ effectual all efforts/ to \ dissuade. her from her-project." With '-'■ what her staid/.English relatives termed a'n unusual 7 amount of 'lrish wilfulness, ' Dorothy /pushed -forward jier'-prepara-tions for the venturesome journey across Hampstead -Meath, . with its' evil reputation of highway robberies*pejrpetrated in the broad- light of day, and its notorious 'denizen, : Dick Harford,/' Black Dick,' at large. /■•/"--. \ " '/; ; "-.•-.-" The girl's^ heart was set on returningAwith|;ajlitspoed to Ireland, and the-.journey from the iWells i>,to. London was the first stage/of>the§pefiloiis homeward" path: // , sVleanwhilej s, f or»- this evening, Dorothy herself up to ;fftll .enjoyment of.'.'the gay scenes Where; she igueened it.^byvirtue ofthe/triple royalty of beauty, and youths •; . All the wealth" arid '' gentility : metropolis I werej there -' represented. ; A royal J duke had *h'&hored ,it with his presence, and had conferred... on the fascinating Irish : damsel the distinction of dancing -a; minuet wffch her. / Had Dorothy but known, she had - that evening threaded the-mazes of a pavane with a personage of far more remarkable celebrity. About his. personality .she was, destined to -be,, enlightened under very stances. ■'— i . > ' '■■'. ■' •• '.% ■*.///vVJ//-/ .■':'■ ■.-,-.■ .---.■ "/• ./Not many days later a cumbersome travelling coach, drawn by four stout steeds, might have been . seen rolling- ; _ heavily along the highway between. Tunbridge Wells and London.; At a certain point the equipage, deserting the main route, plunged into a labyrinth of "byroads, leading indeed- to the capital, but by ways so circuitous that : the;", distance was more than doubled./ This abandoning of the ordinary roadway was Dorothy's first move. "/'-."'"* Great-uncle Pennington, enveloped to a disappearing point ?in comforting furs and woollens/ groaned as the unwieldy vehicle swayed j and pitched through deep ruts, and loudly ■) bemoaned h the times which necessitated such . a ' mode of journeying for peaceable, law-abiding subjects of the British Crown. But Mistress Dorothy, erect' and resolute, slipped back the hood of her crimson cloak and glanced with satisfaction at the dreary waste outside. J. ■"• Be K of good cheer, dear Uncle! Those good gentlemen of the road are surely : : watching for us on the Heath. They , little know how far out 'of their reach we are.' "J Alas! how is it* that - '. • '..-.-}.'" • The best-laid schemes of mice and men " Gang aft agley?' On a sharp rise of the road along which lumbered the coach, - a solitary horseman -was stationed, a black blot ~ against 'the sky. f'^ Everything 'about him, including;* his horse, was of the same sombre hue. .; ; . He surveyed the yet, distant vehicle with ■; a grim smile.. -S .*, - -.' ' Ha, my fine Madam,' • was His thought, so you would measure wits ; with Dick Harford!' ... ■-'■ f" _ . 2 *V * j : v ',; *'.~ -/In '; sheer - exuberance ; ; of spirits, "he ; accosted : an ap-proaching,-pedestrian whom he easily identified as one of/ those ; itinerant . Methodist preachers common to the time. ./' :'**/'.V'*r ; '."-: 'r* ". /'" .' '.":•..■ '-';;"-"* ■'-"*" J.K 'Halloo, good, man! - : Can I be of any service to ;" yqu?;' - ■■'■■;%. ,$? 'I \. v, '■// ■-.;<■ ;:--:.//-v '■-'?' '•■*?% : The wayfarer looked up unsuspiciously over his .greathorn spectacles. /,:• ' ,■ ./-';, > ; ~ m ' ■ ; ?~".\ .iy '§-% v'. ". v. 'Canst thee tell me, friend, if . I be on the right way to Dulwich?'; ~' ." r - '-•. *• -.-/■'; / . *,'. "''•„-•-.. '■■■ \,-f* '' \-' - 'Ay, that you are. <_ And, as I've .some minutes to c spare, I'll give you a.-lift. for a mile or so. .Up with you, behind : me.' „=. mi \Jr't . .>. ..-<.£':',. :'-• -: '■!'' V.:'*'.'./.: ';.- r - -l- : .'->-:.-'--'--*i-...;.-! --/--.' - ■; ,'-'.:'\ ;-:>-;.■-;•-H'-"/ ,u- ■:'■-"-'■? ■ .«

r ; ; : ,l Nothing'?'loath, the good ""man' hoisted himself ; laborpiously:idntor,thei broad^back^of' his > interlocutor's steed, and, 1 after a'; brisk canter, was ; set down where the road : branched'' : off to Dulwich. . v ' t " >~ n *.: > •''■■"."!•;:j. v '-"'-''".'-.vV" '•■:■'• j : 'I thank, thee,' friend! And, as even to the elect, a word of warning cbmes hot amiss, I pray thee accept these' ■ tokens of my good-will.' '*'■* " ~* f: ? ".*'.'>' -. •■■ ? v. r r c He held up a packet of vigorously-entitled tracts: ,: ; ', Snares ;of . Belial,' ' Pitfalls for; the Unwary,' Unrighteous and Unready.' -,-C: *:*•;, -"<■•...; •■/■•. " ' ~-v ... The • horseman rapped out . a string of profane ; remarks and, wheeling his; ; animal to the rightabout, left the worthy divine with "hands uplifted"in pious horror. • - - 'Stand, or I fire!' -• -, : ' .-..'. ■\ The ominous words broke like a thunderbolt on .the

occupants of the .-travelling coach. The coachman, paralysed with terror, hastily drew' up; and the black horseman, his face now concealed by a velvet mp.sk, flung open the carriage door.' ; 7> 7} 7 • ; ‘Your jewels, madam! Your purse, sir!’ ' Great-uncle Pennington, rudely aroused from slumber, was fain to make an . outcry; but the • sight of a pistol levelled straight at his head made him . promptly produce the desired article. , /. Now, madam.’ But Dorothy scorned the notion of an easy surrender. ‘ Think you, sir,- that a lady of quality carries her jewels about her at risk of meeting such company the gewgaws without further-bandying of words.’ ‘That I will not. I defy you I’ ‘I give you while I count ten,. madam.’ Dorothy’s courage was of the finest but it was not easy to maintain it at the required pitch, looking into the barrel of a highwayman’s revolver. With - a little sob, she slowly drew up the pomander box that depended from her girdle, and opened it. Instead of the usual powder puff and other - vanities, there lay - coiled a string of emeralds. Reluctantly she handed them over to the coach door. > The 7horseman took them, glanced at them, and broke into a contemptuous laugh. • A And you think to cozen Black Dick, young madam! I tell you I will have the stones I saw you wearing at the assembly . rout. - . ' . - ' . v . ‘ You saw me wearing?’ echoed Dorothy, haughtily. ‘Ay, and that I warned: you , Black Dick .would risk his neck to possess himself of !’ , ' \. There flashed across Dorothy’s memory the picture of a fop, costumed in plum-colored attire, who had uttered these very words. And she had danced- with' him ! Danced with a highwayman! So ’tis of no avail to throw dust in my eyes. 1 Out

with them at once!' .. 'I pledge you my word I have not them about me.' .'■■'-'.' 'I take your word for that. '• But, by your ,leave, . madam —' .... _ . v.i And Dorothy found herself unceremoniously deposited on the roadside; while the highwayman, stepping into the coach, ransacked and probed every corner '.of it. Another moment, and he lifted the judge bodily in his muscular arms. Dorothy cried aloud: ' O sir, you would not disturb an old man ! I entreat ; you not to eject him. - He has but recently recovered from an attack of gout.' . , . , , \ \ • :fe ' You are vastly concerned about your , relative's health, madam. For the ailments you mention there is nought so efficacious as a brief sojourn in the open air.' V And the, invalid's vacant seat Underwent the same rigid scrutiny, Dorothy watching, breathless. • : 'Ha!' ejaculated the highwayman. •/ " \ He had torn off the leather that covered the floor of the coach, and a chink in the boards became visible, just . where the Judge's feet had reposed. . s. • v ; Quick as thought, the masked rider pried open, the , planks, and from a cunningly devised aperture extracted a case. Leaping from the coach, he held up to view its contents, a complete parure of large emeralds., -r, t i r . ■ ' Ay, these are, in truth, the gems that graced \Mistress Pennington when she honored me with a dance!' ... ■ _ Great-uncle Pennington, true son of Adam, hastened to exculpate himself. ',v ;, ' : • - ' -'■■'■.:>■/ ■■■■■ ■'■{. ">, II protest, sir," I knew nothing' \, ._ ■;..._.. ' ■:-.■*•> ■■■■■•'■ .^_ : But it was too much for 'Dorothy. . Dignity and prudence alike momentarilv deserted her. She raised her little" hand, : and a ringing roufflet, of no uncertain aim, descended on the velvet mask. v. t <-,"'-• • The highwayman treated the affront as a jest, h bweenving his v three-cornered hat in -salute to his victims, he rode off, hearing for some minutes the Judge ? s, doleful lamentations, and Dorothy's reproachful rejoinder. '. ~ \.. >;• r-■'■ * Alackaday, Uncle, I vow you are more discomposed at I' the loss of your 1 scantily replenished purse than L at that I if my jewels V :f '••, ? .'<■•» - ;V"' V ' •' ?:. ' ••' ' ''■\sh\ "■'. '" Y * - .:, ~' * ; *W »■: ; * ( * ■ ■"'■•■ - 1 might have been seen ; making ■'■ his way cautiously through * certain quarter^ of London. ' Arrived at his destination • f; —the ; abode of a Jew \ dealer, : who .••: asked \ no;• inconvenient, questions;?.*he" produced : his precious spoils, .vHe^ toad : & already determined on the goodly amount hof coin: of the " realm he .would exact as their value*

77 i\ ‘ Here, Isaac—here's a v prize : that doesn’t often come your way. j ; No- haggling- now.’ =, : . 777vv7;’ : v. . The Jew stretched out an. eager hand, and, clutching the case, proceeded to test its contents. , : ; <■ ' :v: ‘ Well, how. much are you thinking you can cheat me of?’ demanded the customer. ‘You’ve taken long-enough to make up your mind.’ „ 7 The. old dealer peered at his questioner with a curious expression.■■ :' / ; .r- ' ' 1 . .! 77% ‘ Are you - aware, * honest sir,’, he said, in’ his ..own rendering of the King’s ‘ English, ‘ that these things are glass,—so much colored glass ?’ „ ; 7 , ..... The face of honest sir went livid with rage. ‘Have a care ; what you say, old man 1 It were ill risking your, rogueries.’ 7 -v The Jew pushed the jewel case back toward him. ' ‘ There are plenty of jewellers in London, my friend. Ask their opinion. I traffic not in these fooleries.’ With his mind in a whirl, the highwayman turned on Ins heel, and was" flinging himself out when the Jew called : - ‘ ;

* ‘ Stay! I have something for you I had gone near forgetting.’ 'He opened a receptacle and drew from it a letter. This .was brought to me' yesterday' evening by a —he seemed to be of the Irish nation —who besought me to deliver it to you, as he judged you would have business here. And a son of the Chosen People' does not refuse to hearken to a -request.’ (The , ‘son of the Chosen People ’ omitted to state that the request had been accompanied by a handsome gratuity, as a refresher of his memory.) The man seemed well acquainted with your movements,’ he added, with a sly smile, ‘and with the fact that you have occasional dealing with me.’ Black Dick snatched at the letter and tore it open. In a delicate, yet firm, hand the missive ran: ‘ Before leaving London I desire to thank you, kind sir, for your, obliging act in relieving me of a case of some bits of green glass, which would of a truth have been in. my way had you not fancied them. These trumperies I had caused to be fashioned on the exact model of my jewels. I thank you likewise, for conveying my trusty servant, Myles O’Hara, for a • portion of his route, which was not to Dulwich. He it was who bore about’ him my emeralds, secreted in a pack of tracts, some of 'which, more particularly that one entitled “Pitfalls for the Unwary,” he fain would press on your acceptance. You must allow that Myles, in the guise of a worthy Methodist, v did fair credit to the schooling of - • .

‘ Your obliged,

‘ Dorothy Pennington.’

Do not attempt to imagine Master Harford’s language in his first outburst of fury on reading the letter. What! Foiled, duped, by a slip of - a girl ! . And, O misery, he himself had carried his coveted booty, an easy prey, behind his back ! That villainous O’Hara ! Then} by degrees, the humor of the thing began to appeal to him, as it had undoubtedly appealed to Dorothy herself in the carrying out of her skilfully-planned little comedy. A ripple of laughter ran through her letter, underlying the stilted phraseology of the day. He colild see again - the merry mockery in . the dark blue Irish eyes at his clumsily-turned compliments during the rout, to which, for' his; own nefarious purposes, he had contrived to gain access. ‘Zounds!’ he cried to the Jew, who, uncertain what turn the frantic outbreak might take, had entrenched himself behind a hastily - improvised barricade— -‘zounds, man! I can almost laugh to think that I, Dick Harford, whom no man ever yet worsted, have been outwitted and befooled by a little Irish lassie, who never set 7 foot in London till a month ago I’ v : £ ' > * * . -' * * ' * *

In an old Irish castle, 'at this present date of the twentieth century. Mistress Dorothy’s emeralds, in the safe-keeping of one of her descendants, gleam as brightly as when their fair owner of a bygone. day made and won her wager. —Ave Maria. s ‘ ,